Park bids to be SK 1st woman president
Source: Agencies |
August 21, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SOUTH Korea's ruling conservatives yesterday picked Park Geun-hye, the daughter of the country's slain strongman as their candidate for December's presidential polls, putting her on track to become the country's first woman leader.
Park, the daughter of Park Chung-hee who ruled the country from 1961 to 1979, won her New Frontier Party's presidential primary, easily beating four male candidates by winning 84 percent of the vote in the race to succeed fellow conservative Lee Myung-bak whose mandatory single term ends in February.
Park's win at her third attempt to become her party's candidate was greeted by the theme music from "Chariots of Fire" as she pledged greater economic equality.
"We will make sure that small and medium companies and big corporations can coexist ... We'll make sure the economically weak are given a fair chance," the 60-year said in her acceptance speech.
Polls show Park is ahead of any of the declared liberal opponents by double digits and looks likely to return to the presidential Blue House 33 years after she left it in mourning for her assassinated father.
As well as promoting job security and welfare, Park has pledged to re-engage with North Korea and reward the state if Pyongyang shows it is serious about halting its race to obtain nuclear weapons.
She warned Pyongyang's new leadership that any attacks on South Korea would meet a strong response.
"I, Park Geun-hye, will not tolerate any action that damages our sovereignty or threatens our safety. We won't be content only with maintaining peace but we will work to establish a new framework for sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula and cooperation in North Asia," she said.
Park has never married and lives in a grey house in a quiet Seoul neighbourhood.
Park, the daughter of Park Chung-hee who ruled the country from 1961 to 1979, won her New Frontier Party's presidential primary, easily beating four male candidates by winning 84 percent of the vote in the race to succeed fellow conservative Lee Myung-bak whose mandatory single term ends in February.
Park's win at her third attempt to become her party's candidate was greeted by the theme music from "Chariots of Fire" as she pledged greater economic equality.
"We will make sure that small and medium companies and big corporations can coexist ... We'll make sure the economically weak are given a fair chance," the 60-year said in her acceptance speech.
Polls show Park is ahead of any of the declared liberal opponents by double digits and looks likely to return to the presidential Blue House 33 years after she left it in mourning for her assassinated father.
As well as promoting job security and welfare, Park has pledged to re-engage with North Korea and reward the state if Pyongyang shows it is serious about halting its race to obtain nuclear weapons.
She warned Pyongyang's new leadership that any attacks on South Korea would meet a strong response.
"I, Park Geun-hye, will not tolerate any action that damages our sovereignty or threatens our safety. We won't be content only with maintaining peace but we will work to establish a new framework for sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula and cooperation in North Asia," she said.
Park has never married and lives in a grey house in a quiet Seoul neighbourhood.
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